Bitter Sweet (16 page)

              "Brave man," he said, clapping Alik on the shoulder with a grin as he went to get mom.

              Alik walked over as we pulled up to the curb and Sam got out and hugged him. Her parents pulled in behind me, getting out of the car.

              "So you’re the elusive Alik," Sam's father Hector stated, walking over to shake his hand.

             
He was a short, but strong man. He had given Sam her bright brown eyes. His shirt sleeves were rolled up around his thick arms covered in what he called “manly hair”. Sam was glad she didn’t get that as well. Sam’s mother was basically an older Sam; she was beautiful and walked with elegance that nearly rivaled Lilith.

              "You must be Mr. Castillo; nice to meet you."

              "Call me Hector, It’s good to finally meet you as well. This yours?" he asked, pointing at the car.

              "Yeah."

              "Nice choice; you must do well."

              “Dear, you shouldn’t ask that,” Sam’s mother rebuked.

              "It’s okay, Mrs. Castillo,” Alik said, lightly shaking the hand she held out. “You could say that I do fairly well."

              "Oh dear, please call me Elen," said Sam's mother.

              “Little Ness over there got lucky finding you,” laughed Hector.

              “Oh, we aren’t…” Alik started.

              “Yeah, sure you aren’t,” said Hector with a wink, cutting him off. “She will come around,” he whispered. “She may not be with you, but seeing how you look at her, you are with her.”

              Elen came over to stand with Sam and me while Alik and Sam’s father talked about cars with Sam slowly drifting over to them. What is with that family and cars, I thought.

              “Give either of them something shiny with four wheels and they have to discuss it,” Elen pointed out, next to me.

              “I don’t know how you stand it.”

              “Years of practice blocking it out. Looks like I might need to give you a few tips.”             

             
“Yeah, a few years of car talk and I will lose it.”

              “So you’re thinking about a future with this boy?” she asked slyly.

              “Oh, I didn’t mean it that way,” I didn't know why I was getting embarassed.

              “Dear, I can see he has thought way ahead; you shouldn’t pass up on someone like him. He’s gorgeous, too. If only I was a few years younger…” she trailed off with a smile.

              “You have a way like my mother to ruin the thoughtfulness in your statements at times,” I said.

              “I’m just saying, dear. Sam may not go after him, but I hold no such loyalties.” She smiled

              “You’re married!”

              “I can’t want a nice pool boy on the side? Just be careful no one else takes him from you.”

              She walked over to her husband as my father came down the walkway.

              "Everyone ready?" asked my dad as my mom locked the front door.

              "Yeah Joe; we’re all set," Hector said, clapping Alik’s shoulder.

              I held out the key to Alik when he hopped into the back seat of the car. "To Ithaca, driver," he said, looking at me with the picture of ease as he was stretched over the two seats. I glared back at him.

              "I’m not driving this thing all the way to Ithaca."

              "I'll do it then,” Sam offered, holding out her hand while I gave her the key.

              "Well, at least we will make it there before the parents now," he teased.

              My dad had now backed out of the driveway and we followed him first to the gas station, then onto the freeway. It was right after rush hour and the freeway was clear, but my dad refused to go over 55.        

              "You know, if you hit that little button there on the Sat Nav, I programmed the route to Cornell into it," Alik said.

              Sam pushed the little button and a woman’s voice spoke: "Keep southwest on the highway for the next 70 miles." Sam smiled, signaled, and shot off past my dad with the wind rushing through our hair.

              We got to Cornell well ahead of our parents and everyone turned to watch us as we parked the car in the dorm parking lot and got out. Sam and I went to check in with the RA's outside the dorm and got our keys, but our parents still hadn’t gotten here. We walked around and had lunch in a Burger King that was on campus. Our order number had been called and Sam went to get the food.

              "Has it changed since you were last here?"

              "I never told you I went to this college," he said, looking shocked.

              "I could tell you were remembering something here when you were walking."

              "I forget that you can read me like a book. It does look the same; I even considered coming back."

              "You could have done that?"

              "Would you have liked that?"

              "No, you sticking around would ruin any dating opportunities," I joked.

              "Yeah, you around all the time would ruin the dining opportunities."

              "Oh ha ha."                           

              Sam got back with the food and just as we were finishing, my phone rang. Somehow Alik got away with not sipping the soda and still making it disappear. My dad told me they had just arrived outside of the dorms and were waiting for us, so we finished up and got back to the dorms and in a relatively short time, everything was moved in and set up. Tomorrow was the opening ceremony and our parents were going to spend the night in a nearby hotel to watch, but Alik would be heading back to the city. He managed to get me alone for a moment even when surrounded by five other people.

              "I have something to ask you," he said.

              "What?"

              "Right after your first semester ends on December 31st, there is a gathering; the Elders and all vampire of power will be there. Will you come with me?"

              "You want to take me to a vampire party?"

              "Yeah, it’s something like that. I’d really like you to go with me. My mother has expressed something along the same lines as well. If I’ve read her overwhelming hints accurately, that is."

              "Where will it be at?"

              "Tanzania, Africa. It’s near the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro."

              "Are you serious?" I was shocked.

              "Very."

              "What’s the party for?"

              "It’s more of a ritual; the Elders believe that Aaliyah's prison is beneath Kilimanjaro and every year, they make a trip to it on December 31st. It translates to the day Aaliyah was betrayed by Lucifer on the modern calendar. There will be other humans there as well."

              "Other humans?"             

              "A diplomat or two, some political figures, and some businessmen: the pets of some vampire."

              "Am I going to be your pet?"

              "No, you will be my date. Kind of like taking your cousin to the prom." He smiled.

              "Alright, I will get my passport from my mom when I get back."

              "Thank you," he said in a low voice, as we had slowly been getting closer together unconsciously. I found my lips against his, I’m not sure who kissed who but I didn’t care. I told myself that I wasn’t going to let this happen; I’m not supposed to get attached to him like this. Although, I also told myself that I didn’t want to become a vampire as well, but I had found myself considering it an option after school ended. We broke apart and he looked into my eyes. "Sorry," he apologized.

              "Don’t be, I didn’t stop you."

              "I will behave myself from now on, I promise. Do you still have your phone?" he asked and I pulled the crystal square out of my pocket.

              "I never go anywhere without it."

              "Call me when you want to see me and I will be here."

              "I will."

              "I’m going to say goodbye to everyone. Will you walk me to the car?"

              "Yeah."

              We found everyone and Alik said his goodbyes and we walked out to the parking lot where a group of kids were standing around his car. He got in and lowered the roof and gave me one more look before starting the engine. "Remember, call me and I will be here." A moment

later, he was speeding down the street. I looked down at the phone and had to stop myself from calling him back.

Alyon Alik

Chapter 20.0

              How do you make a girl you love, love you back with so much going against you. You can’t...

              “Hello,” I was expecting Sam’s call.

              “Hey Alik, so I have good news and bad new,” she told me. I didn’t think this would be good either way.

              “Okay, how about the bad first?”

              “I couldn’t get into her room to get at her drawings,” I gave a sigh. “However,” she said loudly in response to my sigh, “I do have something she made for me. They are quickly sketched copies, but I still have enough for you to work with.”

              “What does it look like?”

              “It was designed for a car lover so the garage is the largest room in the whole thing, but you have to see it to really get a good sense. I will bring it to Masteria in an hour.”

              “Perfect, thank you.”

Samantha Marie Castillo

Chapter 21.0

              Vanessa might be lying to herself about how she felt about Alik, but I could tell she really loved him. She is just one of those girls who likes to torture herself where love is concerned. I, on the other hand, thought Alik was good for Vanessa, but that was only if my feeling that he was hiding something was wrong. In part that is why I picked to go to him at Masteria in the day. I wanted to get to know Alik a little better with Vanessa not around.

              The beautiful black Aston Martin was parked outside, but there were also a few other cars I wasn’t expecting; I began to get nervous. In the daytime, the tent looked not less impressive, but then it didn’t hold the same vibe that made you feel like dancing just walking up to the opening.

              “Hello?” I called out as I walked in.

              “Hi,” came a female voice behind me, causing me to jump. “You must be Sam, Alik is waiting for you follow me.”

              “Oh,” was all I could think of as we walked.

              “I’m Alison by the way. Nice to meet you,” she spun, holding

out a hand for me to shake while still walking backwards. I shook, her grip was light but very cold. “Are those the plans?” she asked. I was worried she was going to trip when we hit the stairs, but she just kept walking backwards.

              “Yeah, they were the only ones I could get. Vanessa is very protective of her work,” I said, still unsure about this girl.

              “I wish I had a guy to build a house for me,” she said dreamily.

              “This is for her? He didn’t tell me that.”

              “Well, it is and it isn’t. That’s why it’s so sweet.”

              “Oh, I see what you mean. Yeah.”

              “Yeah, I haven’t seen Alik this sweet in a long time.”

              “Have you known him long?

              “Since I was a little girl. His mom took me in.”

              “He has only ever said that he has one sister,” I was confused.

              “Oh, he does. I’m not his sister. My parents weren’t the best and Lilith helped me get emancipated and gave me a place to live. I think I impressed her when I lied about my age to get a job at one of her hotels.”

              “But you said you knew Alik since you were a little girl.” We reached Alik’s office.

              “I have, he used to make me laugh when I was crying because I didn’t want to go home after school. He would get me an ice cream and make me feel better,” she reminisced.

              Wow, was Alik like he is now as a kid, too. I guess I could see that. “You never tried...”

              “To get in his pants? Of course, all the time. I kind of lost touch with him in middle school and it was a stroke of fate that I was able to find him during that interview. He came out of the elevator and it was a little shocking for both of us. I think he talked to his mom and got her to call me back, but she won’t admit to it.”             

              “Is all of his family so giving?” This girl might be my way into Alik’s head.

              “No, giving wouldn’t be a word I’d use. You have to be useful to invoke this sort of kindness out of Lilith.”

              “Lilith?”

              “Alik’s mother. She can be a ruthless person, but very sweet underneath. The hardest thing is to know which is the act and which is the truth with her.”

              “Is Alik the same way?”

              “He is his mother’s son.”

              “Alison,” Alik said as he walked into the office, she was still walking backwards.

              “Hey you!” she shouted, bouncing over to give Alik a kiss on the cheek.

              “Why are you here?” he asked. I had to hide my shock.

              “Just talking about you with my new friend here,” she teased. “I was just leaving however.” She came over and gave me a kiss on both cheeks. “Maybe I will see you later,” she smiled and made her way out the door.

              “I’m sorry for her, the new liberties my mother has given her has made her bold lately. She’s my mother’s spy on how my new business is going, but anyway you said you found some plans for me?”

              “Yes.”

              I was sort of in a daze by Alison’s kisses, I snapped out of it when he brought up the plans I was still holding. “She did these about a year ago, I asked her to design me a house.” I laid the plans out over his desk. “My favorite part is the four car garage with a glass wall leading to the bedroom so I can always see my cars. The loft’s are just to break up the space in each room with the ceiling hitting almost 18 feet in places. Other than that, it’s very open to natural light with all the glass and double skylights,” I explained as I walked him through the floor plan.”

              “It’s... just perfect,” he said, still looking over the plans.

              “I know you like your cars and that’s what made me think of this.”

              “Can i borrow these?”

              “Of course.”

              “Thank you.” He gave me a tight hug that caught me off guard. Alik then rolled up the plans and put them back into the tube I brought them in.

              “Do you seriously intend to build this?” I just had to know.

              “I’ve been looking for someone to design my new house, who better than Vanessa?”

              “You really love her, don’t you?”

              “I’d do anything for her.” It was sweet how he said it, but with what Alison had just told me, was this the true Alik or the act?